Valve gear



March 30 '1926.

J. HALTER l VALVE GEAR Filed ont. 24, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .Ihre/#af March 30 1926. 1,578,249

J. H. ALTER vAL'vE GEAR Filed ost. 24, 1921 Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 engines.

Patented Mar. 3o, 192e.

UNITED; fs'raires- 4 `vALvn GEAR. n

Application mea octobeai, leen. serial No. 510,135.-v

ToaZZ whom z'zffmag/co'ncef/'fa.'V l f Y Be 1t known that I, JOHN H. ALTER, a citizen of the United States, residingat Com' neaut, in the county of Ashtabula1 andState ot Chio, have invented a certainnewand Some, of the objects of the-.present inven'- tion `are to provide a valve gear which. is adapted to operate the valve so 'as'to provide equal steam distribution onvboth sides of the piston forvvariable points of cut ott yin both the forward and back: motions; to provide a valve gear which shall operate thel valve at alternately fast vand slow speeds during its travel thereby to eifect a-.quick andfull vopening of the admission port' at' the properperiod or beginning of each piston strokeand maintain such opening until near-thefpoint of cut oftand then-effect a'quck cut-oit 'and release toprovide al` valve 'gear which shall consist' of few parts which are simplefin coni struction and inexpensive to manufac'ture;

` to provide a valve'gear vvhic'lrshall consist of a minimum number of :moving parts, all of which may beofia pivoted `n'atureand r hence 'eliminate any sliding :bearings which might collect dust and dirt and causey undue Wear between moving surfaces which Would cause lost motion 1n the 'ge-ar; -to provide a valve gear which may becompensated atal plurality of points tor irregularities fof the. main and eccentric rod, or any other irregu-v larity that might 'occurdue to the principle advantages will appear as the `description proceeds. y

In the accompanying drawi'ngsiwherein I have shown certain villu'strative'cenrbodiments of my invention but without intent to lim-it myself thereto, Fig. l is a side elevation'of my valve gear attached to'alocoinotive; Fig.

v 2 is aplan-view of the reverse yoke andconnection -lever assembled; Fig.l -3 is aA sec-` tional vieW taken on thev line B-Sfo F1gr2g' showing lmodified forms ot connection,- Figs. 6 and 7 are diagrammaticviews illustrating the -positionofthe 'various parts in the reverse and forward motions respectively, an'd Fig. 8 isa diagrammatic view illustrating a` modified form 'ot connection.

'Itlwill be understood that and valve is operated through avalve; gear A'similar to that to vbe'gdescribed hereinafter. In the drawings, l4 indicates thecylinder, 2

the piston rody and- 8 thecross head and 4 the mai-n rod ywhich-is loperatively connected to ladriving Wheelin the usuail or 'any ap; proved manner. An eccentiji'ccrank 6' is also connected tothe"drivingwheel 5 and h'asthe free end -trhereot connected through an'eccentric rod 7 With'one end of a bell crank 8. The arms '.10 and 11 ofthis'bell crank, Which I :term the connection'lever` and motion arm, respectively, kmay or may not deiine'aright angle. The pivotal; connection "of bell -crank JQHNVH. "Anima,l or QONNEAUT, onto.

each; cylinder S-With the valve' mechanism is indicated at l2 ,and the pivotal connection ofeccentric rod-7 With connectionfleverflO is indicated at 13 and these pivot points as Well as others to be referred vrto hereinafter are. located in such manner as to compensateforany irregularitiesofthe main andeccentric rods or irregularities ofiany other parts of the gear. The bell "crank 8 isrvhat may beytermed a float-ing bell crank, ire., the pivotal points Y l2, 13l and lare not'pivoted to a fixed point ofV a stationary object eov A pair ofradiusfli'nks lareeach pivotally connectedat lonefend to theendotthe motion leverv 11 as .indicated-M116 and at their opposite ends said linksare pivotally connected tothe reverse yoke 17 as indicated at 18.v The reverse yoke is essentially a bell crank Whichmay 4or may notdeine a right angle, andi this yoke is' mounted in a suitable tramo'2x3for pivotal movement about the'trunnions 119l9- v'Ill'ie-ja'rm 2O ot the reverse'yok'e is ".pivotally connected to reach rod v2,1fWhic`h is connected at itsfopposite end to a reverse lever indicated 'at 22.

vThe valvestelnis' indicatedat--24 and is pivotally connected to a valverod`25-.Which in turn is connected with [the lap 'and lead lever, 26. f The lap andl lead leverV v,may be niountedin the usual orl any approved mani its other eli-dito the lap and lead leverr26,

` and this rod; is supported by Ypivotally con;

-nected 'parallel "rockers 30 Which-may be lfastened yto across-head othery suitablev support.

I have ound'that a. valve gear constructed and arranged as described, may loeV conipenf sated'for irregularities ofthe Various parts,

at a` number or' point'ssoaS-zto gproduce an ideal valve motion. That is,spivot point 19 in a'y lie-'on an'arc'drawnwith' point lSas arenter and passing throughpoint 16 ias VVshownin Figs. 1, 2 andv 6 or'point lin'ay lie'to the right or left 'o'f' such" anarc. 'van r example of the latter cases, reference lraveshovnthe"reverseyokepivotpoint 19L disposedto'the left of Ythe pivot point 1 6f", andf in Fig. 5 -I havefshownIthe'pivot point 19h-disposed to the` right of tle-,pivotal'point VV161. 4Furtl'ierniore, thepivotal-pointer the reverse yoke bell vcrank jinay 'or may not Vtormfa right .'angle withreference to Vvthe.

pivotal 'connection Vbetween the' reach rod.- 21

Y 'aridithearln 20, 'and :the pivotal .connection 18 between thereverseyok'e and radius bars 15'.` In'otherwvords;thearms 11,' 1'5 a nd'17 niaybe'ofequal'len'gthjasshown in Figs. 1,

2 and 6 or may be'of unequal :length las 'shown in Figsytfand 5.' p f "lhesamecompensating features/ are true with respect to :hell crank 8,"that'f is pivotal connection f12`j'1nayfbe. `onj an lare drawn f through point 18,`\`Vith poi'nt16 asa center which is thecase asjshown'in'ligs. 1, V2 and 6, or point "12.1naybe tothje vright `of such are as isthe case in Fi'g14, vor vto'ltheleft of Vsuch are as in Fig. 5'. f- Furthe'rthe points 16,"

12andv 13 mayor may'notdeine a'right angle, and With'ponts '16 andl2'deiiningla horizontal line, point 13 may be disposedl 1n verticalalignment'with point 12 orn'ia'y lie .to the ri'ht or left of such vertical line. fIn

other Words, the v gear "ifnayv loe compensated atl fa plurality of pointsA so that. tfhewalve vvill have the' desired" nieti `jnandl have eqnal cut-oil in the 'forward and- Ieverseginove K ments over the entirejrang'e ofvariable eutoifpc'nts.v i Y l A. further compensating V` Aeffect. inlay be seenred by varying thea-n'gle which' rockers SQnor-inall'y inale with respect to Y radius rod 29. '-Th'at"is,fthe radi-us ro'dp29f1noves in an -arcuateW l'path withv roclers i530, 30 las Y a radins and fit lwill befob'vious that the hori'fv zontalfspeedf 'said fred" line eases `llas the "ers approaehQavertiealposition"and fde tical position; ffi'lpathbetween X"anjftwo j points"oni-this arc canbeseleoted bychan'gthe'p'ivota-l points offtheA rockers, and

the 'inotionderivedroin this Vsource Tco# operates withfthefniotionfrein` the vother points of; the "gearto .produce an ,idealf'val've guidev 31 or any reverses shiftingV the pivotal points of rockers 30, 3.0

to compensate :for any irregularities 1in the other elements ofjthe gear.

Referring now torFijg. 6 wherein theparts are shown .in the 4reverse 1 notion,"it Will be seen that the eccentric` rod 7 Vwill impart anl oscillating motion to connection lever 10 and Y,

motion arm 11.

of translation with respect to the pivot 18 VThese niernliers, Which 'vf form the bellA crank r8, will have a. inoveinentf,

andfimpart aE reciprocating motion to-tli'ev radius 'rod l29. The combined.;*motions of radius rod 29 and lap` and leadllever 265ml p'art'the desired lnotio'nltofthe valve rod'2, thelap*andleadileve'rheing of any appro-ved type'and vrfo'rfrning no part ofthe present-in'- 'vention, a "descrifptionV 'for 'its mot-ion is thought'to be unnecessary. By referring to Fig. 6, it Will beobvious thatasthe reverse g5' lever '-22'` iSF-Inoved 'to its InaXiniurn rearward position, thepoint 18 'Willvbe moved to 'its motion ofthe ecce'ntricirod' and hellv crank f s 8 `will vvhe" aboutv points: 18'- and 12 which will not Vcause displacement .of radius lrod and valve rod 25, hence the valve will `1eniainy stationary. Y

that las reverse `lever 22 is' in'ovedf' to its forward position, pivotlpoint 18 will .he moved below point-'12 andthe motion, or' valve-rod in the reverse4 n'otionf previously v`vdescribed Then reverse lever 122 vis injits'extreme for ward positionfthepoint'l8:-vvil1-beat its 1naxiinuni'distance below; point 1'2`- and hence radius .rod 29l and valve ro'd' 25' :will fre'cei ve maximum '`reeipl'focz'ttionV which will give gre-jalzeStient-`off Pini the forward' `motion. Sim- `ilarly, 4as reverse leverisno'ved rearf-vvarcll/ tefiwvard'neutral iipositlon, fthe ip oint 118'- will v 'lUo 25 `Will bev oppositeto thatV received when a lll) ino've 'toward point-12' andfr'decrease*the cut- 'portion of' the -gear may 115e y'rivert-ec1#and I claim Yis vfixed pivot Wiiiie petitienl is a soaring page It Willbe noted that the valve rod'fis-'astuated by the bell crank V8a 'in this instance and lever` is connected to the eccentric rod 7a; IIn operatiomthe motion'ofeccentric rodi'u will cause coiinection'lever 20W and motion arm 17 "1f to rock about'the fixed pivot 19ans a center landhencenpoint 18a-g will move in an arc.v The bell vcrank 8?,"being connected through the radius links 'l1'W with point 18a, Will move a horizontal Vdistance equal to the projection of the maximum points of ltravel over the arc defined by point 18a and this horizontal movement will be transmitted to Athel valveby radius Y rod 29a. The neutral point of this particu'- lar gear arrangement is determined when vpoint 16al coincides With point 19l and the forward and lback motions are determined by the ,position of point 16a above or belowl the point 19a as previously described in connection with the other gear arrangements. Having thus described my-invention, What l. In a valve gear,r the combination of a pair of bell cranks, ay single element pivotal; ly connected to an arm of each of' said bell cranks, ka reverse lever operatively connected with the other arm of one of said bell cranks, means for imparting a translatory motion to the other lbell crank With respect to the pivotal connection between said element and the first mentioned bell crank, and an operativevconnection between the valve and the bell crank to which the translatory motion is imparted. v

2. In a valve gear the combination of'a pair of bell cranks, a single link pivotally connecting an arm of each of said bell cranks, a reverse lever operatively connected with the other arm of one of said bell cranks, means for imparting a translatory motion to'` y the other bellgcrank with respect tothe pivotal connection of the link to the aforesaid bell crank, and an operative connection between the valve and the bell crank to .which the translatory motion isimparted.

3. In a valve gear, the combination of a pair of bell cranks, one of' said bell cranks having a fixed pivotal support, andthe other of said bell cranks having a floating pivotal support, ineansconnecting an arni of .each of said belly cranks, a reverse lever operatively connectcdyW-ith the other arm of one of saidbell cranks, means for imparting a translatory motion to the floating r bell crank, and an operating connection between the floating bell crank and the valve.

4. In a valve gear, the combination of 'a ,Y pair of bell cranks, one ofV said bell cranks having a fixed pivotal support, and the other .ofsaid bell cranks having a floating pivotal y support,

a single link pivotallyV connecting fan arm of each ofsaid bell cranks, a reverse lever operatively connected with the other arm'y ofv 'one "of said bell cranks, lmeans for imparting a'vtrans'latory motion tc the float-V ing"be'llcrank,` and an operatingconnection between-the Vfloating bell crank and'tlie'valve.

. o a bell craiikm'o'unted for pivotal movement :51' iIn" valve 1 gear the combination with aboutfalixed point, of-a reverse lever operatively "connected with oiievarin of said bell 7 crank, a Vlink operativelyfconnected with the [other arm of the vbellfcrank, floating-bell crank connected ivi-thfsajid,linkya'recipro eating connection between saidflast nien-`v tioned 'bell' crank andthe valve, y connection 'said bell L'crankiis ,pivotally supi? ported,-a'ndfmeans` for limparting translaon which I lever directly WithA a point `on the floating-f lever, a reverse lever operativelyconnected With one of said points iifonefof said levers, means connecting one of said points on thev floating'lever for imparting a translatory motion to said lever as a wholeivith respect to the fixed lever, and an operative connection between a point oiithe floating lever and the valve. l

7. In a valve gear, 'the coinbiiiationivith a reverse yoke having a fixed pivotal point` and a pair of arms disposed angularly from said point,'of a fioatingbell crank movable'as a Wholeivith respect to saidyOke, a single linkconnection between an arm of said bell crank and an arm of said reverseyoke, a jreveise lever operatively connected with the other arm of said reverse yoke, means fcoiinected' with the othertarin'of said bell crank y for imparting jtra'nslatory motion thereto lwith respect to said yoke, and a connection" with said'bell crank and the valve, onWhich- 4connection said bell crank is pivotally supported. e y y 8. Iii a valve gear, the combination with a. reverse yoke having a fixed pivotal point .and a pair of arms disposed angularlyvfrom said point, of a floating bell crank movable4 as a whole with respect to said yoke and coinprisinga motion arm and a connection lever arranged angularly one with respect to the other, a reversel lever operatively connected with an arm of said-reverse yoke, a

single link connecting the other arm of said reverse yoke with said motion arm, an eccentric rod voperatively connected with said connection vlever and adapted to impart trans-y latory-motion to the floating `bell crank, and i means operatively connecting said bell crank to the valve p u 9. In aivalve gear,.the combination of a pair ci cranks, means connecting an `arg1.

ilse

' o f'eacli of saidb'ell cranks, :Vay revferse lever Op.entirelyy cmmectedwth the; othe1--erna 0f 'oneof said bell cranks, means ier imparting Y an oscillatory motion; to thefzotlier [nell crank,

it. rodE mounted for arcuate movement operap'a'rofi bell cranks, a link piavotally connecting` an erin of eachfofsalcl bell cranks, a. re-

" verse lever operatively connectedwvith i. the

f' other erin offcnegojfsecl bell crzrnlisfanrfeo- Qcentric rod operatively *connected-to the -otheigarm of the other bell- .crank and adaptecl to "impart an orfscillatory motion thereto,

" :t rod mounted .for arcuatemovement opera,-

rod and Athe-:valve pairof leYerS, oneoi' isiliich' its ofieol endl-the .othen floating, ,a linlf pivotelly connecting the levers, .the link being; oscillatable vabout L the pivot connecting itto the xedpleverfe a centergnnd the floating lever loeingl freefto I 111.111 aw'zalvefgeangthecombination ein move as a whole withr'especttofeaid pivot, j I

a reversing device;@0111..1ec'tedA to the fnd lever, un operatingr device. connected "to, the floating lever,- 1 and u a r connection Afroingenizd floating lever to .theV y.valve o In testimonywhereof,"I liereunto afixfliny o signature l JOHN ALTER i 

